Current Events > Anecdotal advice for people trying to lose weight.

(+) Yeah! (+)

If you're the kind of person that's tried to create healthier habits, but have failed many times, try doing what I did.

Start with lower goals.

In the past, I've tried dieting. I've tried running every morning. I've hired a personal trainer to get me started at the gym. But each time, eventually I slip. I binge eat, I stay home, I come up with excuses to justify it. Then the next day, I feel bad about it, and I can't motivate myself to get back up there.

This time, it's all working. Instead of cutting unhealthy foods out of my diet entirely, I limit them. I didn't give up burgers, but I made a rule to only get 1 a week instead of having one for most of my lunch breaks. I eat more chicken or turkey. I still got my sandwiches on rolls or buns, but I'll isolate the meat and veggies towards one side so there's a few bites of the bread left over. I'll opt for some fruit or yogurt instead of the trashy snacks I usually eat, but I'll eat a donut or some pretzels now and then. And I decreased my portion sizes but still try to fill up.

Progress is slow, but continuous. Now I often don't have a burger at all. I'll get more salads or skip the bread for lunch. I snack a lot less, and when I do it's a few bites for the taste and I put it down.

The same applies to working out. I got a buddy of mine (really into fitness) to go to the gym with me. But I only committed to one day a week. That's not enough for any real gains. But it was huge in developing discipline and start building muscle memory. With just one day, you can motivate yourself to get there. We missed the third week because of really rough days at work. I still forced myself to do pushups and crunches at home. The key is to never get 0 for a day. After a few weeks, there were times that I couldn't get him to go out. But I was able to make myself go. Now that I've got this down, I'm starting a second day a week with someone else. I'll push myself a bit harder. I'm on track to have a daily gym routine going by the end of the year.

I've lost 15 lbs in 2 months. I've moved over 4 holes on my belt. I feel healthier in general. But it's only just beginning. That weight could all come back. As long as I retain these habits, and gradually improve them, I can keep losing.

This advice is only helpful to others that are super out of shape and starting from nothing. But that's one of the hardest hurdles. So set small goals at first, then push yourself more and more. And when you do fail, don't let it end things. If you're back at square one, then push on towards step two again.